1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an indicator for identifying the location of a surgical procedure on a patient.
2. Description of Related Art
Prior to performing a medical surgical procedure on a patient, the patient is prepared for the procedure. Often a nurse will review the medical records of the patient and identify the procedure to be performed. Generally a few hours before the procedure, a nurse will draw an “X” on the patient where the procedure is to be performed. The “X” or mark is drawn on the skin of the patient with an indelible ink. Since it is drawn by hand, the marks are not consistent between patients or procedures due to the changes in hospital staff. The patient is not involved in marking the location and often the surgeon is not present. Further, the location of the mark and any verification signatures are generally not entered into the patient's records. Lack of structure in this procedure and misinterpretation of the handwritten markings may lead to a misidentification of the procedure location. Further, additional verification would increase the viability and consistency of the identification and reduce the risk of misinterpretation.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need for an improved method and device for identifying a procedure location on a patient.